OD prosper long our noble king, To drive the deer with hound and horn The child may rue that is unborn The stout Earl of Northumberland The chiefest harts in Chevy-Chase These tidings to Earl Douglas came, Who sent Earl Percy present word, With fifteen hundred bowmen bold, The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran And long before high noon they had Then having dined, the drovers went The bowmen mustered on the hills, And all their rear, with special care, The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, The nimble deer to take; That with their cries the hills and dales Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughtered deer; But if I thought he would not come, With that a brave young gentleman 'Lo, yonder doth Earl Douglas come, All men of pleasant Teviotdale, Fast by the river Tweed.' 'Then cease your sports,' Earl Percy said, 'And take your bows with speed: And now with me, my countrymen, That ever did on horseback come, I durst encounter man for man, Earl Douglas on his milk-white steed, 'Shew me,' said he, 'whose men you be, That hunt so boldly here, That, without my consent, do chase The first man that did answer make, Who said: 'We list not to declare, Yet will we spend our dearest blood, 'Ere thus I will outbraved be, I know thee well, an earl thou art, But trust me, Percy, pity it were, Let you and me the battle try, And set our men aside.' Accursed be he,' Earl Percy said, 'By whom this is denied.' Then stepped a gallant squire forth, That e'er my captain fought on foot, You two be earls,' said Witherington, I'll do the best that do I may, Our English archers bent their bows, Yet stays Earl Douglas on the bent,* His host he parted had in three, Throughout the English archery And throwing straight their bows away, They closed full fast on every side, In truth! it was a grief to see How each one chose his spear, And how the blood out of their breasts At last these two stout earls.did meet, Like lions wode, they laid on lode, And made a cruel fight : *This and the three ensuing stanzas were substituted by Dr Percy for one which he considered obscure, as follows: 'To drive the deer with hound and horn, Douglas bade on the bent; Two captains moved with mickle might, They fought until they both did sweat, "Yield thee, Lord Percy,' Douglas said; Thy ransom I will freely give, Thou art the most courageous knight 'No, Douglas,' saith Earl Percy then, That ever yet was born.' With that there came an arrow keen Which struck Earl Douglas to the heart, Who never spake more words than these : 'Fight on, my merry men all; For why, my life is at an end; Lord Percy sees my fall.' Then leaving life, Earl Percy took In truth! my very heart doth bleed A knight amongst the Scots there was, Who straight in wrath did vow revenge Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he called, |